Side door construction for dry ice service refrigeration cars



p 9 2- w. c. DUNHAM 2,296,813

SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DRY ICE SERVICE REFRIGERATION CARS Filed Jan. 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l William, C. Dluzka/w.

p 1942- w. c. DUNHAM 2,296,813

SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FO R DRY ICE SERVICE REFRIGERATION-CARS Filed Jan. 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 j Y mm m as a William? C. Dan/lane."

c. DUNHAM 2,296,813

sum noon conswnucnou FOR DRY ICE SERVICE REFRIGERATION CARS Filed Jan. 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet s z I I6 I x I 26 14- W. C. DUNHAM SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DRY ICE SERVICE REFRIGERATION CARS Filed Jan. '29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 .x x a. .V 0.4 .O p v I k gg xw fig a T L Sept. 22, 1942. w. c. DUNHAM 2,296,813v

SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DRY ICE SERVICE'REFRIGERATION CARS Filed Jan. 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. 22, 1942 SIDE DOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR DRY ICE SERVICE REFRIGERATION CARS William Courtland Dunham, Fairport, N. Y., as-

signor to Despatch Shops, Inc., a corporation of New York Application January 29, 1941, Serial No. 376,533

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel and improved side door construction for dry ice service refrigerator cars.

Heretofore side door constructions for cars of this character have commonly been made of a single inner door and a pair of outer doors. The inner door member of such doors, ordinarily 7%" thick and having 6" of insulation, is arranged to close against a shoulder on an inner face of the door frame, said shoulder being provided with a Jarrow gasket to form a joint seal. The outer door of such door constructions consists of two door members of conventional refrigerator side door type, each 7%" thick and having 6" of insulation, said door members being arranged to close against a shoulder on the outer face of the door frame, said shoulder being provided with a Jarrow gasket to form a joint seal. When these doors are closed a void or space of is left between the outer face of the inner door and the inner faces of the outer doors.

The end walls, floor and roof of the car are heavily insulated and commonly each side wall is 20%" thick and contains 14" of insulation and these portions of the car have been found adequate to prevent heat exchange causing undue evaporation of the dry ice and escape of cold carbon dioxide gas from the interior of the loaded car. However, it has been found that prior side door constructions of the type described are inefficient and faulty to the extent of causing serious trouble and loss of dry ice. Owing to inadequate door insulation and to the presence of the above-mentioned void or space, cold carbon dioxide gas leakage through the innor door into the space and warm outer atmos pheric air leakage through the outer doors into the space occurs, with the result that the walls of the space are chilled and the warm air from the outside striking these walls produces a heavy frost in the space and upon the wall surfaces. This not only causes the doors to bind so that they cannot be opened without tearing the frozen gaskets loose, but results in the interior temperature of the car being lowered, permitting evaporation of the ice and depreciation in the size of the ice cakes within the car. This may result to such an extent that many ice cakes are reduced to an unusuable size for the purposes intended and must be discarded as waste.

The main object of my invention is to provide a door construction which eliminates these objections.

A further object of the invention is to provide a single door construction of the same thickness as the side wall and which gives the same amount of insulating eifect, and which at the same time prevents frosting about or between the joints and securely seals the door opening against gas and air leakages.

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for mounting the door to adapt it to be easily opened and closed and for holding the door closed under pressure to securely seal the door opening.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a refrigerator dry ice service car embodying my improved side door construction and showing the door closed.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door thrown open.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through a portion of the door showing particularly the compression sleeves.

Fig. 4 is a section through the locking trunnion keeper on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the compression sleeve.

Fig. dis a vertical transverse section through the side wall of the car and closed door on a line through the center of the door.

Fig. '7 is a sectional plan view through the side wall showing the doorway construction and also showing in dotted lines the door in fully open and partly open positions and in position to be closed.

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 7 showing the door closed.

Fig. 9 is a side View of one of the hand levers and associated clamping and compression screw.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 11 is a. view of the handle for operating the clamping and compression screw.

Fig. 12 is a view of one of the clamping and compression screws.

Fig. 13 isa perspective view of the upper end of the hinge rod or shaft and its pivotal connection.

Fig. 14 is a section on line l4-I4 of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a top plan view of the trunnion hinge bearing and insert on door.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I designates a side wall of a refrigerator car of the type described and 2 the doorway therein. The wall I is or may be of conventional construction and of the usual thickness and containing the amount of insulation specified, or it may be of any suitable general construction with the addition of my improvements.

In accordance with my invention I provide an oblong rectangular doorway and door which are respectively coextensive in depth and thickness with the side wall. The doorway structure 2 is also of novel character and comprises a frame formed of a bottom or threshold portion 3, a top or lintel portion 4 and side portions or jambs 5, each consisting of a plurality of bars or beams B, I and 8, arranged in stepped relation so that the doorway is of frusto-pyramidal form and of greatest height and width at its front or where it opens through the outer side of the wall I and of least height and width where it opens through the inner side of the wall I intothe body of the car. These bars are notched at I If so. as tobreakjoint and overlap one another and. are suitably fastened to the side wall body and'may be united;

where desired to each other and to adjacent portions of the wall structure by angle steel bracing beams 9 and bolts I so as to reinforce the bars and provide a rigid door frame structure. Tie rods I I may be employed to firmly connect the component parts 6, I andB-together. As shown, the outer faces of the bars are beveled to forminclined or sloping abutment surfaces I2 leading to and from abutment shoulders I3 formed by the over-lapping front portions of the blocks. The surfaces I2 are rabbeted' to form seat recesses toreceive insulation packing blocks I4 which are'suitabl'y secured in the recesses, and each surface I2'is provided with a lining or covering I5 of a suitable sheet material which is suitably secured thereto. The blocks I4 preferably consist of nitrogen gassed rubber which is resilient and not affected by the (110 F. below zero) temperature of the dry ice compartment of the car. The lining I5 may consist of canvas of a strong and durable character. The packing blocks I 4 are adapted to be compressed tightly against the coacting surfaces of the closed door, as hereinafter described, to provide tight compression seals proof against the leakage of carbon dioxide gas outwardlyor atmospheric air inwardly. overhanging the top of the door opening is a hood I6 to protect certain parts of the door-mechanism from the action of the elements.

The door I! is of a shape conforming to and adapted to close' with a sealing fit within the doorway or opening; This door is formed of a rear body or core section" I B, a front body or core section I9, of relatively small and large. depths and surface dimensions, bottom, top and side. or stile-rim sections 20, 21 and 22, and inner and outer sheathing layers 23 and 2.4. The section I'B consists of layers of cork insulation and the section I9'of a layer of hair felt insulation, between which and the sheathing 24 is placed a layer I9" of Celotex insulation board, while the rim sectionsZU; 2] and 22 each consists of a plurality of bars or beams 25, 26 and 2T similar to the bars or beams 6, I and 8 of the doorway structure. These parts. are united in any suitable manner to make the door structure strong and rigid andtie rods 28 are extended through the door body between the stile sections to firmly tie the same together. The layers I8 are sealed in with asphalt, as shown at 29, and similarly the layer I9; is sealed in with asphalt, as shown at 30. As shown, the rim bars. 25, 26' and 2.1 of each set are tongued and. grooved, as at 3iI,,to break joint and. the barsare arranged in stepped. relation. andbeveled on their outer faces so as to provide inclined. abutment surfaces 32 to bear. with a wedging fit. against the. abutment surfaces IZ- of the door frame and abutment shoulders 33 to bear against theabutment shoulders I 3. ofthe door frame inthe closed position of the door The arrangement isalsosuch that the intermediate bars-26 present front abutment surfaces. 34. against which the rear faceof the front core section. I9 bears, whereby a compact assemblage of the door forming parts is produced to provide. with the features above described a door of great strength and durability and proof against; passage of carbon dioxide gas or air. The inner face of the door may be provided with a rust-proof metal lining 35 to lie flush when the door is closed with adjacent portions of the usual metal lining 3.6. on the interior of the car.

From the foregoing. it will be seen that when the door is closed the doorway will be fully closed by a door equalin thickness to the side wall and having the same or even a greater amount of insulation. Also it will be seen that the door and doorway frame are provided with a plurality of closing surfaces arranged at intervals between the outer and: inner sides of the doorway and which not only break joint with each other but are provided with sealing means to securely seal the joints against outward passage of cold carbon dioxide gas or inward passage of warm outside atmospheric air, so that the formation of frost about the door and doorway and in the sealing joints will be prevented and the normal temperature in the car will be preserved to prevent undue evaporation of and reduction in size of the dry ice cakes; The door construction described furthermore obviates the necessity of using troublesome multiple doors of the character heretofore in use and provides a single door free from the defects of such prior multiple door and moreeconomical in construction and maintenance while, for reasons stated, preventing cargo losses. These and other advantages of my improved car door structure will be readily apparent to those versed in the art without further recitation.

I further provide a novel and improved means for mounting the door for opening. and. closing movements and locking it under sealing pressure in closed position. The door carries adjacent to one of its side edges a combined hinging rod or shaft 31 and the door carries adjacent to its. opposite side. edges a latching rod or shaft 38. The shaft 3T comprises a hollow pip journaled in a center bearing 39 on the door and into the upper and lower ends of which are fitted and welded the shank portions 40a of trunnion castings 453, each comprising a body plate or link arm 48?) having at one end a journal pin or portion 4! and at its opposite end a pivot pin.42. Thejournal. portions or pins M of the trunnion castings are disposed between and connect their trunnion portions 40a with their link plates. These journal portions or pins M are journaled in upper and lower bearings 43 on the door, while the pivot pins 42 are journaled in. bearings 44 on the sides of the car adjacent the, top. and bottom of the doorway. Each bearing, 43 hasa limitedrotary portion with respect to shaft 37. To this end each bearing 43 is formed with a segmental extension 45 terminating at one end in a stop face or shoulder 46 and at its opposite end with a stop shoulder 41. The shoulder 43 is adapted during the final portion of closing movement of the door to engage the inner longitudinal edge of the arm 461), while the stop face or shoulder 41' is adapted on a preliminary outward movement or the unseating of the door to engage a stop shoulder 48 On the arm 46?). The lower bearing 43 may have a thrust ball bearing riding against a shoulder on the lower trunnion arm 40b to secure an easy operation of the door. This construction provides a. coupling connection between the shaft 31 and the hinge members or trunnions which adapt the door to have a preliminary substantially straight line opening movement from its closed position to unseat it from the doorway surfaces before it is swung on an arc to partly open or fully open position and to adapt it to have a substantially straight line final closing movement or seating action when it is positioned, at the end of an inward swinging movement to be seated in the doorway, under a seating pressure, as hereinafter described.

The latch rod or shaft 38 is journaled in bearings 56 on the'door and is provided at its upper and lower ends with offset portions forming crank-like fastening pins which are movable by oppositely rotatable movements of the shaft into and out of keeper'slots or sockets formed in the keeper members 52 fixed to the side wall. In one direction of rotation of the shaft 38 the pins are moved into the keepers and exert a jamming pressure thereon to force the adjacent side of the door tightly to its door seat. In the opposite direction of rotation of the shaft the pins move out of the keepers to release the door for outward swinging movement.

Hand levers 53 and 54 are provided for operating the shafts 31 and 38. Lever 53 is pivoted at one end to a fixed bracket 55 on shaft 31 so that it may be swung upwardly and downwardly and it is provided at its opposite or free end with a hand grip 56 adjacent to which it is formed 'with a slot 51 opening through its lower edge. Lever 38 is similarly pivoted at on end to a fixed bracket 58 on shaft 38 so that it may be swung downwardly and it is provided at its opopsite or free end with a hand grip 59 adjacent to which it is formed with a slot 68 opening through its upper edge. The said slots 51 and 6|! in. levers 31 and 38 are adapted to be engaged with the outer ends of compression screws 6| and 62 carried by the door and outer surfaces of the levers are formed with concaved seats 63 about set off cen ter or eccentrically arranged with respect to the centers of the slots for the reception of and bearing engagement with convex surfaces 64 of fixed heads 65 on the outer ends of the screws. The

screws 6| and 62 extend into the door l1 and i are mounted for inward and outward travel in threaded openings in bearing sleeves 66 fixed within the body portion of the door, each screw having a stop head to limit its outward movement. Each head 65 is formed with an opening 61 to receive an operating element comprising a rod or bar 68 having a pivoted handle 69 which may be normally arranged to lie parallel with the door, but may be turned to a position at right angles to the rod 68 to serve as an operating n.

crank whereby the head 65 may be rotated to adjust the screw. When the door is closed and held under compression by th screws BI and 62 the convex surfaces of the heads 65 bear against the shorter faces of the concaved seats 63 at one side of the centers of the slots 51 and 66, or at the side between the slots and free ends of the levers, as shown in Fig. 3, thus holding the levers 53 and 54 clamped tightly against the face of the door. In releasing the door for opening movement the screws 6| and 62 are turned outwardly to their extreme outward limit, thus releasing the levers 53 and 54 so that they may be swung on their pivots free from engagement with the screws so that they may be operated to unlock the door and unseat it from the doorway. In the operation of seating the door and looking it at the end of a closing movement the levers 53 and 54 are swung on their pivots to engage their slots 51 and 6|] with the outwardly projected screws 6| and 62 in rear of their heads 65, at which time, owing to the angular relation of the levers with respect to the screws, the concaved surfaces of the head 65 will engage the concaved surfaces 63 at the opposite side of the slots from that shown in Fig. 3, or between the slots and pivoted ends of the levers. Thus when the screws are turned inward to force the lever 53 and 54 against the door and to place the seated door under holding compression the levers are permitted to swing inward under pressure of the heads 65, in which operation the convex faces of heads 65 ride along the concaved faces 63 to shift the heads from side to side of th slots 51 and 66 and bring the parts to the clamping position shown in Fig. 3.

The lever 53 is provided for operating the shaft 31 for door releasing and final closing movements, while lever 54 is provided as stated for operating the latch shaft 38. Both levers are also used to force the door tightly into sealing position and cooperate with the compression screws and their operating means to place the closed door under compression to hold 'it'sealed against any disturbing forces. A stationary handle 10, however, is provided for swinging the door when released to open position and from open position into the doorway for a' final closing movement.

Assuming the door to be in the fully open position A or partly open position A shown in Fig. 7, it will be understood that in a closing operation the door is swung by handle 18 to position A2 in whichit is partly moved into the doorway 2, and in which operation the door and link arms 46b swing on pivot pins 42 with levers 53 and 54 in outwardly swung position and ends 46 of fianges in contact with the inner sides of link arms 40b. When the door has reached position A2 lever 54 is grasped and swung inwardly, thus engaging pins 5| in keepers 52. Lever 53 is then swung inwardly, thus swinging the link arms 4% outwardly and shifting their inner surfaces out of engagement with ends 46 of flanges 45. The levers 53 and 54 are then brought into engagement with the compression screws 6| and 62 which are rotated by means of the hand levers 68 to cause the heads of the screws to force the levers 53 and 54 tightly against the door, as a result of which the door is not only bodily moved inwardly but forced tightly into seating position by engagement of the pins 42 and 5| against the outer walls of their keepers 44 and 52, pins 5| in this action jamming against the cam surfaces of keepers 52 to transmit a seating pressure to the swinging side of the door and the shoulders 46 of link plates 40b and flanges 45 being brought together in this action to transmit a seating pressure to the hinged side of the door. This operation forces all sides of the door, under pressure, into seating position. The compression forces so exerted not only hold the door tightly closed to bring the sealing packings under compression but render the door rigid so that its sealing surfaces cannot be jarred out of position by disturbing forces in the travel of the car.

In opening the door the levers 54 and 53 are released, by screwing out the compression screws and disengaging the levers therefrom, lever 54 is then swung outward to rotate shaft 38 to unlock the door and lever 53 swung outward to move ends 41 of flanges 45 into engagement with shoulders 48 of link bars 401;. This releases the pressure of these parts -upon the door and causes the unseating; and outward movement of the door to the position A2 shown in; Fig; '7. By means of lever 53 the outward movement of the door may then be continued to bring the door toany open position, in which it swings fully on pivot pins 42".

Slots H may be provided in levels 53 and 54 to receive any suitable type of looking or sealing means, generally indicated at 12, carried by the door.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the construction, mode of use and advantages of my improved side door construction for dry ice service refrigerator cars will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art without a further and extended description. While the structural organization of the door'and its parts herein disclosed is preferred; it will; of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportions, construction and arrangementof the parts, falling'within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a side door construction for dry ice service refrigerator cars; a. car side wall of predetermined thickness and insulation. value and having a door opening of oblong rectangular form and comprising a door frame consisting of bottom, top'and side portions eachformed of outer, inner and'intermedi'ate setsxof wooden beams or blocks providing frame rim portions arranged in stepped relation one in rear of the other with each other andto break joint soas to provide straight abutment shoulders and formed with outer inclined surfaces between the shoulders, and a unitary door of the samethickness as the wall and coextensive in area with the door opening so as to fill said door opening when in closedposition, the door comprising a rim frame formed of outer, inner and intermediate sets of wooden blocks, outer and. inner doorsurfaces and an insulating laminated core structure surrounded by the, in-

ner frame and filling the space between said outer and'inner door surfacesand forming therewith a door of the same insulation value as the car wall, said frame rimportions having. stepped abutment shoulders and inclined surfaces conbottom, top and sides'stepped abutment surfaces and inclined abutment surfaces between the same, and, a door of the same thickness as the wall and coeXtensi-vein area with thedoor opening so as to fill saiddoor opening in its closed position from side to side of the wall, said door comprising a frame rim formed of outer, inner and intermediate rim: portions, outer and inner door surfaces and an insulating laminated core structure surrounded by the frame rim and filling the space between the outer and inner door surfaces and forming: therewith a door of the same insulating value as the car wall, the said rim portions of the frame rim being arranged in stepped relation one in rear of" the other and to break joint with each other so as to provide straight abutment shoulders, and, formed with outer inclined surfaces between said shoulders, the said shoulders, and inclined surfaces of the door being adapted to engage the shoulders and inclined surfaces of the door frame to seal the door opening at a plurality of points from side to side of the wall.

3. In aside door construction for dry ice' service refrigerator cars, a car side wall of predeterminedthickness and: insulation value andhaving a door opening. of oblong rectangular form and comprising a door frame consisting of bottom, top. and side portions each formed of a plurality of beams or blocks arranged in stepped relation one in, rear of the other with each other and to break joint so as to provide straight abutment shoulders and formed with outer inclined. surfaces between the shoulders, and a door of the same thickness as the wall coextensive in area with the door opening as to fill said opening in its closed position from, side to side of the Wall, said door comprising a frame rim formed of outer, inner and intermediate rim portions, outer and inner door surfaces and outer and inner core sections surrounded by the frame rim and composed respectively of layers of cork and hair' felt surrounded by the frame rim and filling the space between the outer and inner door surfaces and forming therewith a door of the same insulation value as the car wall, said portions of the frame rim of the door being arranged instepped relation one in rear of the other and to break joint with each other so as to provide straight abutment shoulders and formed with outer inclined surfaces between said shoulders, the said shoulders and inclined surfaces of the door being adapted to engage the shoulders and inclined surfaces of the door frame to seal the dooropening at a plurality of points from side to side of the Wall.

4. In a side door construction for dryice service refrigerator cars, a car side wall of predetermined thickness and insulation Value and having a door opening of oblong rectangular form and comprising a door frame consisting of bottom, top and side portions each formed of a plurality of beams or blocks arranged in stepped relation one in rear of the other and with each other to break joint so as to provide straight abutment shoulders and formed with outer inclined surfaces between the shoulders, and a door of the same thickness and at least the same insulation value as the wall adapted to fill the door opening from side to side of the wall, said door comprising a body portion and a rim portion, the body portion being formed of front and rear door surfaces and front and rear laminated' sections of layers of cork and hair felt respectively surrounded by the rim portion and filling the space between the front and rear door surfaces and forming therewith a door of the same'insulating value as the car wall, the bottom, top and sides of the rim portion being each formed of a plurality of beams or blocks arranged in stepped relation one in rear of the other and to break joint with each other so as to provide straight abutment shoulders and formed with outer inclined surfaces between said shoulders, the said shoulders and inclined surfaces of the door being adapted to engage the shouldersandinclined surfaces of the-door frame to seal the door opening at a plurality of points from side to side of the wall.

WILLIAM COURTLAND DUNHAM. 

